SIX Part 2: Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves

 

Original Broadway Cast (2021)

Continuing off on part one of this blog series, it’s now time to take a look into the lives of Jane Seymour, the only one King Henry VIII claimed to truly love, and Anne of Cleves, the reportedly “ugliest” bride that soon became known as “The King’s Sister.” In my personal opinion, while these two wives didn’t leave as much of a mark in history, they still had quite an impact on Henry and showed intentions to rule as strong Queens but would sadly never get the chance compared to their predecessors and successors.

Very little is known about Jane Seymour besides the fact she was presumably born around 1509 to Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall and the younger sister to Thomas Seymour, the future husband to Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s final wife. Unlike Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, she was not as well educated despite coming from an incredibly wealthy family but she was brought up to be a strong believer in Catholicism and thrived in house work such as cleaning, cooking, gardening, and needlework (Jane Seymour). Around 1529, Jane found herself working as a lady in waiting for Catherine, presumably alongside Anne. It’s unknown what their relationship was like prior to Anne’s marriage to Henry but evidence suggests Jane held a great deal of respect for Catherine and was one of her many supporters against Henry’s divorcing her (Mason, E.).

Two years into Anne’s marriage to Henry, Jane was still a lady-in-waiting but now 26 and becoming “too old” with very little suitors until Jane caught Henry’s eye, just as Anne had during Henry’s marriage to Catherine. With Anne only having one daughter and suffering through miscarriages like Catherine, Henry was losing interest in Anne. Henry reportedly felt drawn to Jane as she was quiet, gentle, and humble, the opposite of Anne who was more ambitious, assertive, and witty (Mason, E.). Just as Anne did, Jane rejected Henry’s attempts to make her his mistress which only prompted him to fall more in love with her. Unlike Anne, there was no evidence showing Jane or her family intentionally planned for Jane to continue gaining Henry’s affection but as time went on, the two did grow closer. Although she rejected many of his gifts, she did accept a locket, indicating she was in fact now in love with Henry, which became clear to Anne who ripped the necklace off her neck once she noticed it (Gem, T. B.).

After Henry’s jousting accident and Anne’s final miscarriage, Anne was charged with adultery and incest and was soon beheaded. It’s unknown how Jane felt during the trial but it has been proven she was not involved in any plans to dispose of Anne as many historians believe Henry conducted the trial so he could be free to marry Jane. Just 11 days after Anne’s death, Jane accepted Henry’s proposal and the two had a private ceremony in 1536 (Biography.com Editors). Despite the fast marriage, many citizens were pleased with the marriage and able to accept Jane much more quickly than Anne (Gem, T. B.).

While Jane notably never got involved with politics as Catherine or Anne, she took over the domestic matters as she helped Henry mend his relationship with his oldest daughter Mary, Catherine’s 20-year-old daughter, and took care of Elizabeth, Anne’s 3-year-old daughter (Mason, E.). During their 18-month marriage, Henry seemingly found his true love but this quite likely due to the fact Jane was the only one of his six wives to give birth to a son, the future King Edward I. Tragically, Jane died at the age of 28, roughly two weeks after having her son. Henry was devastated by Jane’s sudden death and of his six wives, was the only one he chose to be buried with (Biography.com Editors).

Portrait vs SIX adaption of Jane Seymour

Three years after the death of Jane, Henry was now 48 years old when he married the 24-year-old Anne of Cleves, a German catholic princess who provided Henry a political alliance with her brother, William, Duke of Cleves, who was a leader of the Protestants of western Germany (Britannica, T.). Not much is known about Anne’s childhood but it is said she received a limited education under her mother’s eye and could only read and speak in German. After Henry saw a portrait of Anne, done by the painter Hans Holbein, he was stunned by her beauty and Anne soon arrived in England to meet her future husband (Bilyeau, N.).

Excited to meet his new bride, Henry reportedly disguised himself and tried to kiss Anne only for her to push him away from shock. Although she soon realized who he was, their relationship was off to a horrible start as Henry, now seemingly embarrassed by her initial rejection, declared Anne looked nothing like her portrait and he was tricked. Henry could not escape the marriage and they wed within five days which led to Henry’s further disappointment in Anne who did not seem to be aware of what intercourse was and their marriage went unconsummated (Anne of Cleves).

Portrait vs SIX adaption of Anne of Cleves

Like Jane, Anne stood away from politics and tended to more domestic matters, becoming especially close with her new step-daughters, Mary and Elizabeth (Bilyeau, N.). Anne quickly learned English and slowly adjusted to her new life in England but Henry could not get over the fact he found her unattracted. He soon took Katherine Howard, Anne’s teenage lady-in-waiting and the first cousin to his second wife, as his new mistress. Henry informed Anne his desires for an annulment and unlike Catherine of Aragon, Anne peacefully agreed to it. Anne was heavily rewarded by Henry and received a generous income, the Richmond Palace and Hever Castle, given the honorary title of “The King’s Beloved Sister,” and deemed the most important woman in England after his wife and daughters. Surprisingly, Henry and Anne became close friends after their marriage and remained close until his death. Anne went on to live a quiet life in England and be present when her step-daughter Mary became Queen in 1553. Anne not only outlived Henry but his other five wives as well (The Famous People).

Like Henry’s first two wives, SIX doesn’t have the time to fully tell us their story. We are presented with the women mocking Jane for having “problems” with Henry when she was seemingly his true love and gave him a son. Jane admits to having it much easier than the other wives but goes to show the audience she was not just a meek and obedient wife that many assume her to be but she was a strong woman who loved a man with all her heart despite his many flaws and vowed to stay with him to the end. Anne of Cleves is another queen mocked on stage after her performance as six months of humiliation lead to her surviving and living a comfortable life afterwards but it does make the audience wonder if her jokingly and showing off nature has become a defense mechanism from being taunted by Henry and his followers. In reality, she held her head up high and attempted to make the best of her situation by becoming accustomed to her new home and new family. Both queens chose to stay outside of politics and focus on family matters, taking pride in their new roles as step-mothers, most notably to Mary and Elizabeth. Both of them sadly had a short time to impact their kingdom as Queens and left many wondering what they could have done if they just had more time.

References 

Anne of Cleves. Historic Royal Palaces. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/anne-of-cleves/#gs.vr4iuf

Bilyeau, N. (2013, May 28). Seven Surprising Facts About Anne of Cleves. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2013/05/seven-surprising-facts-about-anne-of.html#:~:text=Anne%20of%20Cleves%20was%20the,%2Dbe%2C%20he%20was%20repulsed.

Biography.com Editors. (2014, April 4). Jane Seymour Biography. Biography.com. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/royalty/jane-seymour

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2021, September 18). Anne of Cleves. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-of-Cleves-queen-of-England

The Famous People (Ed.). (n.d.). Who was Anne of Cleves? Everything you need to know. Anne Of Cleves Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/anne-of-cleves-37380.php#:~:text=Anne%20of%20Cleves%20was%20born,in%20Schloss%20Burg%2C%20near%20Solingen.

Gem, T. B. (2011, November 20). Queen Jane Seymour's jewels. The Beading Gem's Journal. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.beadinggem.com/2011/11/queen-jane-seymours-jewels.html

Jane Seymour. Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://biography.yourdictionary.com/jane-seymour

 Mason, E. (2021, June 3). Jane Seymour: The queen Henry VIII Loved most? Jane Seymour | Queen, Henry VIII's Third Wife, Facts & Death. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/kings-and-queens-in-profile-jane-seymour/